Metal furniture



May 31, 1949. B. F. HAMILTON METAL FURN I TURE Filed Deo. l, 1944 IN VEN TOR. 775 f//HM/L Tan;

Patented May 31, 1949 METAL FURNITURE Bertis F. Hamilton,

Columbus, Ind., assignor to Hamilton Manufacturing Corporation, Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application December 1, 1944, Serial No. 566,043

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-494) My invention relates to meta1 furniture, and l more particularly to that type of metal furniture in which tubular legs support a table-top, the seat of a stool or chair, or the like. It is the ob- J'ect of my invention to produce an article of metal furniture in which the tubular legs can readily he removed from or applied to the element they are to support in order to permit the article to be shipped in knocked-down condition and readily erected. More specifically, it is my object to produce a clamp which can be permanently attached to the table-top or chair-seat and which will removably receive and rmly hold the upper end of a. tubular leg. A further object of my invention is to produce a clamp which can be simply and economically manufactured.

In carrying out my invention, I form the clamp of a single sheet-metal stamping secured to the inner face of a depending periphera1 ange on the element to be supported. Desirably, the upper end of the leg to be received in the clamp is made non-circular in cross-section, and the clamp is formed to embrace the non-circular upper end of the leg. The edge portions of the metal forming the clamp extend outward radially from the leg in spaced relation to each other and receive one or more clamp-bolts by means of which the clamp may be tightened. The clamp includes an ear or ange bent into a horizontal plane to overlie and transmit loads to the upper end of the leg which the clamp receives.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a stool; Fig. 2 is a fragmental vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3 showing, on an enlarged scale, the clamp and its associated leg; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the clamp; Fig. 5 is a fragmental side elevation of the upper portion of the stool with the upholstery removed therefrom; and Fig. 6 is an elevation of the inner face of the clamp.

In the drawing, I have illustrated my invention as embodied in a stool, but it is to be understood that it is capable of use in other articles of furniture. The stool shown comprises a seat I0 covered with upholstery material II and supported by a plurality of legs I2. The seat I0 is desirably a sheet-metal stamping formed with a downwardly projecting cylindrical flange I3 at its periphery. At places where legs are to be attached to the seat, vertically spaced portions of the seat-ilange I3 are offset inwardly as indicated at I4, such offset portions being substan- 2 tially coplanar. The lower ends of the legs are held in proper relation lby a ring I5 to which each of them is attached.

The clamp by which each leg is secured to the seat is also formed as a sheet-metal stamping. Each clamp comprises a substantially plane outer wall I6 and side walls I 'i embracing the upper end of the associated leg I2. In order that the leg I2 may be prevented from turning in the clamp, its upper end is partly flattened to provide, over the vertical extent of the clamp, a plane outer wall I8 disposed in juxtaposition to the plane outer `wall I6 of the clamp. Opposite the outer clamp-wall I6, the edge portions 20 of the side walls I'I are bent to extend inwardly of the seat in parallel, spaced relationship, and one of such edge portions is provided with a bent lip 2I adapted to engage the outer edge portion. The two edge portions 20 are provided, between the lip 2| and the interior of the clamp, with one or more pairs of alined holes for the reception of clamp bolts 23.

The outer wall I6 of each clamp is provided with two horizontally extending, outwardly offset portions 25 spaced correspondingly to and engaging the offset portions I4 on the seat-ange I3. The clamp is secured in place on the Seatiiange by rivets 2t which extend through the engaging offset portions I4 and 25.

At its upper end, the outer clamp-wall I 6 is provided with an ear 28 bent inwardly of the clamp into a horizontal position to overlie the upper edge of the iiattened portion of the leg I2.

In the manufacture of the stool shown in the drawing, the seat, with the leg-clamps attached by the rivets 26, is upholstered, the upholstery materia1 I I extending downwardly over the outer surface of the ilange I3 and concealing the rivets 26. Ordinarily, the stool will be shipped in knocked-down condition, with the legs removed from the seat. To apply the legs to the seat it is necessary only to insert the upper end of a leg I2 in each of the clamps and tighten the bolts 23. The iiat face I8 at the upper end of each leg insures that the leg will be properly oriented about its axis in the associated clamp. The outwardly offset portions 25 in the front clamp-wall provide a space for the reception of the heads on the inner ends of the rivets 26 and prevent such heads from interfering with insertion of the leg into the clamp. The ears 28 delinitely locate the respective legs I2 in the proper vertical position in the clamps and transmitto the legs any load imposed on the clamp.

clamps secured at intervals against the inner face of said flange, each of said clamps having a leg associated with it, each of said legs being formed of` metal tubing flattened ony one side for a distance. from its upper end, each of said clamps being formed of a piece of sheet metal bent to surround the upper end of the associated leg,

and having a plane Wall-portion in juxtaposition to the flattened side oi said leg, the planev wallportion of each clamp lying against the inner face of said iiange and'having its upper: edgebent inwardly to overlie the upper end of thel associated leg, the ends of said piece. of sheet. metal opposite said plane Wall portion being bent to form ears extending in parallel relation and inwardly of the seat, and one or more clampbolts` passing through said ears.

2.. Inan article.. of furniture having a seat and supporting legs therefor, said seat including. a downwardly extending flange. ofA sheet` metal, clamps secured at intervals against the inner face of said iiange,v each of said, clamps, hav-A ing a leg associated withr it, each of said legs beingY formed. of metal tubing flattened on one side for a distancev from its, upper end, each of saidsclamps being formed of apiece of sheet metal bent. to surround the upper end of the asso.- ciated leg and having a plane Wall-portion in juxtaposition to the flattened side ofv said. leg, the planewallfportionof each clamp lying against the inner face of said flange, the ends of said piece of sheetl metalr opposite said plane wall.-

portion being bent to form ears extending in parallel relation and inwardly of the seat, and one or more clamp-bolts passing through said ears.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2 with the addition that the plane wall-portion of each clamp and the adjacent portion of said flange are provided with. contactingv portions oifset. toward each` other.

4. In an article of furniture having a seat and supporting legs therefor, said seat including a downwardly extending iiange of sheet metal, said' flange being provided at intervals with inwardlyv offset portions to form recesses in the outer face` of saidfiange, sheet-metal clamps disposed withinr said iiange and provided with outwardly olfset portions respectively contacting the inwardly offset portions of said flange, and means passing through each pair of contacting offset portions and having portions located in the assocated recess for securingl each clamp toA` said 11a-rige', eachi of said` legs having its upper endl secured in, one ofl saidclamps..

Y BERTIS, F. HAMILTON..

REFERENCES. CITED The following references` are; of record inthe filer of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

